Recent Grade For FSU Football QB Ashton Daniels Raises Eyebrows

Ashton Daniels has faced no shortage of questions since being named Florida State’s starting quarterback.

From being left out of On3's preseason ACC quarterback rankings to landing among PFF’s highest-graded returning passers in the conference, evaluations of Ashton Daniels have varied this offseason.

Daniels Lands Eighth Among PFF’s Highest-Graded Returning ACC Quarterbacks

Florida State Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) winds up to pass Thursday, April 9, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

PFF placed Daniels at No. 8 in a recent release of the highest-graded returning quarterbacks in the ACC. The Auburn transfer received a 71.0 grade, finishing just behind Syracuse’s Amari Odom, who checked in seventh at 73.0.

Miami’s Darian Mensah led the group with an 84.1 grade, followed by SMU’s Kevin Jennings and California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Highest Graded Returning ACC Quarterbacks🎯 pic.twitter.com/6MJ2S2dnEw
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 19, 2026

Daniels brings considerably more experience than the typical transfer quarterback. He has appeared in 37 games with 23 starts across Stanford and Auburn, accumulating 4,783 passing yards and 1,397 rushing yards during his career.

His last season at Auburn only provided a small sample size. Daniels appeared in four games for Auburn, completing 68 of 119 passes for 797 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He added 280 yards and two scores on the ground.

The 71.0 grade does not remove the questions surrounding his consistency as a passer, but it does provide a hint of optimism in a preseason surrounded by doubt.

Several preseason rankings have repeatedly placed the redshirt senior near the bottom of the ACC.

Dealing With Preseason Skepticism

Auburn quarterback Ashton Daniels (12) passes during the second quarter against Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

PFF’s grade stands in contrast to some of the other preseason attention Daniels has received.

Daniels was recently asked at ACC Kickoff about the doubt surrounding his ability to succeed in 2026, and he made it clear that outside opinions will not define his approach.

“It’s such a hard thing to handle because, obviously, you see that kind of stuff every single day. That’s social media nowadays. That’s football. That’s how the world is,” Daniels said. “You see that kind of stuff, but I think what separates the best players from the worst is how they handle that kind of stuff.”

Daniels remained persistent that dwelling on the criticism and sulking over it would not help him move forward.

With the starting job already settled, Daniels can spend fall camp learning the finer details of a revamped Florida State offense. That preparation will be especially important considering the massive influx of transfers the Seminoles brought in last cycle.

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